Surgical drapes are used to cover a patient during an operative procedure. They are generally constructed of a material that is impervious to blood and other bodily fluids. In this regard, surgical drapes may attempt to provide a sterile field on the clinician side. However, sometimes a surgical drape is cut or slit to provide an aperture or fenestration at the operative site. Such openings can compromise the sterility of the drape on the clinician side, particularly if they are larger than necessary for the operative procedure.
Surgical drapes have been used to preserve a sterile field or environment in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) interventional brain surgery procedures. Often in these procedures, opening(s) in the surgical drape need to be made to accommodate a cable or set of cables. Pre-cut openings or openings cut sua sponte in surgical drapes may be larger than necessary, thereby compromising the sterile field on the clinician side.